MEDICAL ROBOTICS

Course objectives

Introduction to the basic robotic technologies in the medical context, with particular emphasis on surgical robotics. Expected learning results: Knowledge of the main robotic surgical systems, of the challenges and methodologies of medical robot design and control. Expected competence in: - critically reading a scientific paper describing medical robotics technologies; - discussing in detail the state of the art of robotic applications in medicine; - estimating potential benefits deriving from the introduction of robotic technologies in a medical procedure; - arguing the development of a particular technology not yet available or experimentally validated; - communicating and collaborating with people with different technical background; - evaluating clinical, social and economical constraints in implementing a robotic technology in a medical context; - design control scheme for teleoperation of medical robots and for shared execution of surgical tasks between humans and robots.

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MARILENA VENDITTELLI Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
Course contents vary on a yearly basis. The list reported below includes the core topics treated during the course. Introduction to the course Historical perspective and surgical systems overview Classification of surgical systems supported by robots Kinematic design of medical robots Control Control modalities of medical robots vs their domain of use Physical interaction control: basic principles and case studies Shared control and virtual fixtures Virtual fixtures: examples of application Constrained manipulation and constrained targeting: task control with Remote Center of Motion (RCM) constraint Teleoperation 1: general principles Teleoperation 2: the 4-channel architecture, transparency and stability Visual servoing: concept and mathematical formulation for monocular cameras Visual servoing for medical procedures assisted by robots Principles of medical imaging (ultrasound, TC, MR) Applications of visual servoing autonomous retrieval and positioning of surgical tools 3D ultrasound-guided needle steering Optimization of Ultrasound Image Quality via Visual Servoing Automatic Tracking of an Organ Section with US Haptics Introduction to haptics Haptic rendering Case study: needle-tissue interaction force identification and haptic rendering in teleoperated needle insertion Robot registration Introduction and formulation of the problem Case study: robot registration in a robot-assisted superficial hyperthermia system Exoskeletons and biomechanics of walking Exoskeletons: introductory concepts and examples Human gait analysis Case study: comparative gait analysis on twins for childrens affected by celebral palsy Simulation tools the da Vinci Research Kit (dVRK) kinematic simulator the dVRK dynamic simulator visuo-haptic interaction with virtual patients Safety General concepts Synthetic description of the IEC 80601-2-77 (safety of robotically assisted surgical equipment and systems) European Regulation on Medical Devices The AI act and the healthcare technologies Integration of AI methods Temperature estimation of internal body targets from superficial measurements Simulation of deformable structures Hands-on sessions decided yearly
Prerequisites
Control of linear dynamic systems.
Books
Scientific papers and slides prepared by the instructor.
Teaching mode
Traditional lectures illustrate the methodological bases of the course topics. The application of the methodologies is illustrated through case studies and the nalysis of systems in use in clinical practice. Multiple choice tests are periodically proposed in the Sapienza e-learning environment for a quick check of the acquired knowledge.
Frequency
Not mandatory.
Exam mode
The exam consists in the preparation of a project in groups of three students or, in alternative, in a written exam and an oral discussion. The project usually requires programming work.
Lesson mode
Traditional lectures illustrate the methodological bases of the course topics. The application of the methodologies is illustrated through case studies and the nalysis of systems in use in clinical practice. Multiple choice tests are periodically proposed in the Sapienza e-learning environment for a quick check of the acquired knowledge.
MARILENA VENDITTELLI Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
Course contents vary on a yearly basis. The list reported below includes the core topics treated during the course. Introduction to the course Historical perspective and surgical systems overview Classification of surgical systems supported by robots Kinematic design of medical robots Control Control modalities of medical robots vs their domain of use Physical interaction control: basic principles and case studies Shared control and virtual fixtures Virtual fixtures: examples of application Constrained manipulation and constrained targeting: task control with Remote Center of Motion (RCM) constraint Teleoperation 1: general principles Teleoperation 2: the 4-channel architecture, transparency and stability Visual servoing: concept and mathematical formulation for monocular cameras Visual servoing for medical procedures assisted by robots Principles of medical imaging (ultrasound, TC, MR) Applications of visual servoing autonomous retrieval and positioning of surgical tools 3D ultrasound-guided needle steering Optimization of Ultrasound Image Quality via Visual Servoing Automatic Tracking of an Organ Section with US Haptics Introduction to haptics Haptic rendering Case study: needle-tissue interaction force identification and haptic rendering in teleoperated needle insertion Robot registration Introduction and formulation of the problem Case study: robot registration in a robot-assisted superficial hyperthermia system Exoskeletons and biomechanics of walking Exoskeletons: introductory concepts and examples Human gait analysis Case study: comparative gait analysis on twins for childrens affected by celebral palsy Simulation tools the da Vinci Research Kit (dVRK) kinematic simulator the dVRK dynamic simulator visuo-haptic interaction with virtual patients Safety General concepts Synthetic description of the IEC 80601-2-77 (safety of robotically assisted surgical equipment and systems) European Regulation on Medical Devices The AI act and the healthcare technologies Integration of AI methods Temperature estimation of internal body targets from superficial measurements Simulation of deformable structures Hands-on sessions decided yearly
Prerequisites
Control of linear dynamic systems.
Books
Scientific papers and slides prepared by the instructor.
Teaching mode
Traditional lectures illustrate the methodological bases of the course topics. The application of the methodologies is illustrated through case studies and the nalysis of systems in use in clinical practice. Multiple choice tests are periodically proposed in the Sapienza e-learning environment for a quick check of the acquired knowledge.
Frequency
Not mandatory.
Exam mode
The exam consists in the preparation of a project in groups of three students or, in alternative, in a written exam and an oral discussion. The project usually requires programming work.
Lesson mode
Traditional lectures illustrate the methodological bases of the course topics. The application of the methodologies is illustrated through case studies and the nalysis of systems in use in clinical practice. Multiple choice tests are periodically proposed in the Sapienza e-learning environment for a quick check of the acquired knowledge.
  • Lesson code1022863
  • Academic year2025/2026
  • CourseArtificial Intelligence
  • CurriculumSingle curriculum
  • Year2nd year
  • Semester1st semester
  • SSDING-INF/04
  • CFU6